The Rockets and head coach Mike D’Antoni may not be as close to an extension agreement as yesterday’s report indicated, tweets Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston. Warren LeGarie, D’Antoni’s agent, confirms that owner Tilman Fertitta and GM Daryl Morey met with the coach at his West Virginia home, but paints a different picture of negotiations.
“It’s not exactly representing the situation,” LeGarie said. “When they met with Mike … they had presented essentially what they considered (was) a new offer, even though for us it’s the same, it’s the same one that we’re not willing to do. They’ve taken (out) the $2.5MM buyout and made that a $5MM deal. It’s still not Mike’s market (value).”
D’Antoni listened to the offer from Fertitta and Morey, but didn’t engage in negotiations, telling them to present the deal to his agent.
“They’re never talked to me since,” LeGarie said. “So it’s not moving. It’s a little bit disingenuous what is being reported. They believe by going there and bypassing (me) that will somehow get it done. It won’t. … We have not been talking and we’re not closer to a deal.”
D’Antoni has one year left on his contract at $4.5MM. He has been the Rockets’ coach for the past three seasons, compiling a 173-73 record.
And they’re obviously setting it up so they can fire him during the season and pay him less!
Not a good look!
If his agent wants to paint it this way about negotiations that sounds like a deliberate attempt to embarrass the organization, then the Rockets should let him walk when his contract is up or just fire him now and start this next season with a coach who actually can win a championship.
I would agree, let him walk now but I’d disagree that there’s a coach that can win it all with the present roster.
Leaking works both ways dude. If the organization wants to leak information why can’t an agent?
Fire him now. Going public with this is embarrassing to the new owner.
That is good, no one cares about the new owner… anyway he only lies so far, he is killing the Rockets! D’Antoni deserves more respect.
Fertita lies & sux. I bet he got rich by manipulating illegal labor in his restaurants & elsewhere.
The new owner is embarrassing himself…..
I love his picture that Trade Rumors uses for his articles. He always looks like he’s say “I dunno why we lost”
His Market Value? he wants to get paid like a championship winning coach, which he’s not. I’ll be surprising if he gets more than what they’re offering him.
we wouldn’t be having these conversations had harden didn’t quit in the 3rd quarter of game 6
He has no assistant coaches either and what is to say they don’t get someone that can boom go into D’Antoni’s place if Rockets don’t come out strong this upcoming season.
Wasn’t it after 11 games or such they got rid of Kevin as coach.
Just wish something would get done. And something done that is good all around.